A Waymo self-driving taxi stands in front of Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Waymo cars are operated without humans. However, if a departing passenger leaves the door open, the vehicle will not move until someone closes the door.
For that work, Waymo is relying on gig workers from companies such as: door dash.
of alphabetThe self-driving car company, owned by , confirmed Thursday that it is conducting a trial in Atlanta to compensate delivery drivers who slam a Waymo door ajar. DoorDash drivers will be notified when a Waymo door opens in their area, allowing their vehicles to get back on the road quickly, the company said.
The approval came after a Reddit post revealed that a DoorDash driver in Atlanta was offered $11.25 to close the door of a nearby Waymo.
Waymo and DoorDash said in a joint statement to CNBC that they are always looking for new and flexible ways for DoorDash delivery workers to earn money, adding that future Waymo vehicles will be equipped with automatic door closing. Waymo hasn’t said when the feature will be available.
Waymo’s reliance on humans for simple tasks highlights that even the most advanced autonomous technologies still require costly human intervention for some basic operations. Waymo, valued at $126 billion in a recent funding round, is at the heart of Alphabet’s other bet, which is to “harness technology to solve big problems impacting a wide range of industries, including transportation and medical technology,” according to the company’s financial filings.
In Alphabet’s annual report last week, the company said its other betting division posted an operating loss of $7.5 billion last year, which included $2.1 billion in Waymo stock compensation expenses.
In addition to DoorDash, Waymo also pays users of Honk, an independent roadside assistance company, to close the doors on its robotaxis. Honk users who earn money for maintaining Waymo vehicles were offered up to $24 in rewards for closing their doors in Los Angeles, according to a recent Washington Post report.
Waymo on Thursday began rolling out next-generation robotaxis as it seeks to expand its lead in the United States. Waymo currently offers fully autonomous robotaxis services in six U.S. markets and plans to expand to several more this year.
Spotlight: Waymo raises $16 billion at $126 billion valuation
